BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – In a season with several losses in the closing minutes or overtime of games, the Geneva College men's soccer team finally came out on the positive end of a late game-winner on Wednesday night, with junior Justin Harbison (Renfrew, Pa./Portersville Christian) scoring with less than ten seconds remaining to give Geneva a dramatic 1-0 victory over Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) opponent Chatham.  Geneva improved to 6-7 overall, 2-1 in the PAC, while Chatham fell to 3-7-3, 0-2-2 in the PAC.

Geneva had the bulk of the possession in the first half, but the Golden Tornadoes weren't able to generate any good scoring chances.  Neither could Chatham, though, and both teams finished the scoreless half with five shots apiece.

The Golden Tornadoes looked to have broken through midway through the second half when sophomore Alex Yoder (Milton, Pa./Milton Area) scored over the top of Chatham's keeper, who was off his line, from about 20 yards out, but a last second linesman decision waived off the goal due to offsides, much to the disagreement of the Geneva faithful.  That decision loomed large until the closing seconds.

Chatham committed a foul with under thirty seconds remaining in regulation out near midfield, and junior Zach O'Connor (Darlington, Pa./Blackhawk) hurried to put a long ball into the Cougar box before time expired.  He did so successfully, with his long ball off the free kick landing into a crowd of players, and the ball fell to Harbison who scored with 8.4 seconds remaining, sending Geneva to the much-needed victory, 1-0.

"I was very proud of the guys for their spirit and fight to find a goal tonight," said Head Coach Gary Dunda.  "It was a classic, hard-fought PAC soccer match.  We have a ton of respect for Chatham.  They played hard and were well-coached.  I could not be prouder of two of our seniors.  James Mincone and Devaughn Johns played with passion and heart throughout the match, and they led us to the victory tonight."

Geneva finished with a 12-8 advantage in shots, with both teams each having four shots on goal.  Harbison had a game-high four shots, including the game-winner, his first goal of the season.  Junior Nate Burkhart (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) made four saves to earn the shutout.

The Golden Tornadoes continue PAC play on Saturday with a home match against Saint Vincent at 1:00 p.m.


Geneva College is a Christ-centered academic community that provides a comprehensive education to equip students for faithful and fruitful service to God and neighbor. Offering over 115 traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality. U.S. News & World Report ranks Geneva as a Top Three Best Value Regional University with one of the top engineering programs in the nation. Adhering to the truth of Scripture, a Geneva education is grounded in God's Word as well as in a core curriculum designed to prepare students vocationally to think, write and communicate well in today's world.